Optimizing <i>Rhizobium-</i>legume symbioses by simultaneous measurement of rhizobial competitiveness and N₂ fixation in nodules.

ABSTRACT: Legumes tend to be nodulated by competitive rhizobia that do not maximize nitrogen (N₂) fixation, resulting in suboptimal yields. Rhizobial nodulation competitiveness and effectiveness at N₂ fixation are independent traits, making their measurement extremely time-consuming with low experimental throughput. To transform the experimental assessment of rhizobial competitiveness and effectiveness, we have used synthetic biology to develop reporter plasmids that allow simultaneous high-throughput measurement of N₂ fixation in individual nodules using green fluorescent protein (GFP) and barcode strain identification (Plasmid ID) through next generation sequencing (NGS). In a proof-of-concept experiment using this technology in an agricultural soil, we simultaneou

SUBMITTER: Mendoza-Suarez MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7211974 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature